Primoz Roglic's to lose? The red jersey contenders hoping to surprise the Slovenian at La Vuelta 2022

A month after withdrawing from the Tour de France with a fractured vertebrae, Primoz Roglic will return to action at the Vuelta a Espana in his bid to win a fourth successive red jersey. A course that features fewer steep climbs than usual, an opening team time trial plus a 30km flat individual race against the clock, should suit the 32-year-old Slovenian and his Jumbo-Visma team – provided Roglic has fully recovered from the knock that forced him out of the Tour for a second year running.

Ad Waiting in the wings are a cluster of big-name riders including the 2018 and 2016 champions Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic), Giro d’Italia winners past and present, Richard Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart (both Ineos Grenadiers) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), Spanish climbers Enric Mas (Movistar) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), Portuguese all-rounder Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and the Belgian tyro Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl). Vuelta a EspañaVuelta 2022 route and stages: What’s in store for Roglic and rivals?5 HOURS AGO Vuelta 2022 route and stages: What’s in store for Roglic and rivals? 'We are delighted' — Roglic passed fit to race at Vuelta The 77th edition of La Vuelta will also play host to the final Grand Tour appearance in the careers of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana-Qazaqstan) and, perhaps, Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux).

Former champions Chris Froome (Israel-PremierTech) and Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) will also be on the start list for the race, which starts with the 23.2km TTT in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Friday. Below Felix Lowe runs through the contenders for the red jersey, giving each rider a star rating